What Is the Required Caloric Amount for a 15-Year-Old Female?

by Erin Coleman, R.D., L.D.

Most teen girls need about 1,800 to 2,400 calories each day.

The amount of calories a 15-year-old teenage girl needs each day is dependent on her body weight and activity level. Eating the right number of calories is important because too few calories can negative affect a child’s growth and development, but too many calories can lead to childhood obesity. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, about 32 percent of children and teens are overweight or obese.

Calories per Pound

You can estimate a 15-year-old girl’s caloric needs using just her body weight. According to Hasbro Children’s Hospital, teenagers ages 12 to 18 need 30 to 60 calories per kilogram of body weight each day. This is equivalent to about 13.6 to 27.3 calories per pound of body weight. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a 15-year-old girl weighing 127 pounds is in the 50th percentile for weight for her age. Based on Hasbro Children’s Hospital guidelines, a 127-pound, 15-year-old girl would need about 1,727 to 3,467 calories each day depending on her activity level.

Sedentary Girls

Teen girls who are sedentary don’t participate in physical activity outside of basic activities associated with a normal day-to-day routine. According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010, a sedentary 15-year-old girl needs about 1,800 calories each day.

Moderately Active Girls

The U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services define “moderately active” as participating in physical activity equivalent to walking 1.5 to 3 miles a day at a pace of 3 to 4 miles per hour. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 estimate that a moderately active 15-year-old girl needs about 2,000 calories each day to grow and develop properly, and maintain a healthy body weight.

Active Girls

Active girls are those who engage in physical activity equivalent to walking more than 3 miles a day at a pace of 3 to 4 miles per hour, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010 estimate that most 15-year-old active teen girls need about 2,400 calories each day.

Calorie Composition

The composition of a teenage girl’s diet is just as important as her total calorie intake. According to the Institute of Medicine, girls ages 14 to 18 should consume 45 to 65 percent of their calories from carbohydrates, 25 to 35 percent from fat and 10 to 30 percent of their calories from protein. Since fat provides 9 calories per gram and carbohydrates and protein each contain 4 calories per gram, a 15-year-old girl who consumes a 2,000-calorie diet needs 225 to 325 grams of carbohydrates, 56 to 78 grams of fat and 50 to 150 grams of protein each day.

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About the Author

Erin Coleman is a registered and licensed dietitian. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in dietetics and has extensive experience working as a health writer and health educator. Her articles are published on various health, nutrition and fitness websites.

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